Chiles en nogada originated in Puebla, Mexico.
The dish consists of poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo, usually a mixture of meat, aromatics, spices, and seasonal fruit, then covered with a walnut-based sauce called nogada. It is finished with pomegranate seeds and parsley, creating the familiar green, white, and red color combination.
Chiles en nogada is especially associated with late summer and Mexico’s Independence Day season because pomegranates, walnuts, and several traditional fruits are available then. The dish is commonly served at room temperature rather than piping hot.
A popular story says that Augustinian nuns in Puebla prepared it for Agustín de Iturbide in 1821, after Mexican independence. Historians dispute details of that origin story, but Puebla’s association with the dish is firmly established. The name nogada comes from nogal, the Spanish word for walnut tree.